We interrupt our regular programming for this brief PSA

Language Arts teachers and literacy coaches, are you a member of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE)? You're a professional...join your professional organization! Membership information is here--don't forget to add a journal to your membership!

Whether or not you're a member of NCTE, consider joining the Children's Literature Assembly of NCTE, a group whose goals are:

• To provide a forum for exchange among teachers of children's literature who share keen interest in children and classrooms;
• To promote children's literature as a field of learning, research, and classroom application;
• To undertake and disseminate programs and projects of special interest to those interested in children's literature;
• To work cooperatively with other organizations devoted to the promotion of literature in children's lives.

CLA is a great place to begin your involvement in NCTE. Serve on the committees that plan the events at the NCTE annual convention: the Master Class, the breakfast, the Monday workshop, and be eligible to serve on the Notable Children's Books in the Language Arts committee! Membership information is here (please note on your form that you learned about CLA right here at A Year of Reading!)

While we're on the topic of NCTE, we're not making any promises about posting during the week leading up to and including the Annual Convention -- Nov. 18-26. If the blog goes silent that week, you'll know it's because we're going to great sessions, attending committee meetings, catching up with old and new friends (maybe even YOU!), and taking in some history in Boston.